No. 1 Group RAF

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No. 1 Group
Image: 1 Group badge.jpg
No. 1 Group badge
Active 1918-1926, 1927-1939, 1940-present
Country Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
Part of RAF Air Command
Garrison/HQ RAF High Wycombe
Motto "Swift to attack"

Number 1 Group of the Royal Air Force is one of the two operations groups in Air Command.

The group is today referred to as the Air Combat Group, as it controls the RAF's combat fast-jet aircraft, including Joint Force Harrier, and has seven airfields in the UK plus RAF Unit Goose Bay in Canada, which is used extensively as an operational training base. The group is based alongside Air Command at RAF High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

The current Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group is Air Vice-Marshal Chris N. Harper.

As of 1 August 2006, the following stations and squadrons are under the command of 1 Group:

[edit] History

No. 1 Group was originally formed on 1 April 1918 in No. 1 Area. It was transferred to South-Eastern Area on 18 May 1918, Southern Area on 20 September 1919 and Inland Area on 1 April 1920.

The Group was renumbered as No. 6 Group on 19 May 1924 at Kenley, and was reformed on the same day at Kidbrooke. Two years later on 12 April 1926 the Group disappeared from the order of battle by being renumbered as No. 21 Group.

The next year the Group was reformed on 25 August 1937 by the renaming of Air Defence Group. This designation lasted until 1936 when it became No. 6 Group again. As in 1924 the Group was reformed the same day, this time as a bomber formation.

As war approached in 1939 the Group was re designated the Advanced Air Striking Force and designated to command the British bomber forces to be sent to France. The Group re-emerged a few days later within Bomber Command on 12 September, but only lasted just over three months, being dropped on 22 December 1939.

It was reformed at RAF Bawtry on 22 June 1940 and has been continuously active in the RAF since. No.1 Group also operated the Thor ballistic missile between 1958 and August 1963, with ten squadrons each with three missiles being equipped with the weapon.[1] When Bomber Command was subsumed into the new Strike Command in 1 April 1968, No. 1 Group took on the old role of the command, holding the bomber and strike aircraft of Strike Command. At some point, Headquarters No.1 Group moved to RAF Upavon in Wiltshire.

On 1 April 1996 No. 2 Group RAF was disbanded by being absorbed into No. 1 Group

In January 2000 the RAF was restructured and the Group took on its present role.

[edit] Air officers commanding

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[edit] References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
  1. ^ Martin Powell, "The Douglas Thor in Royal Air Force Service", Rossendale Aviation Society - Article, accessed 2 June 2008